Always and Forever
by BellaLeigh1
Summary: Random Haylijah one-shots of various moods. Some may be semi-canon, some alternate History, some full-on AUs. All depending on my mood at the time. Requests are welcome.


_I honestly don't really know the backstory of this story. Hayley was turned giving birth to Hope. Esther, Freya, Finn, and Kol are all alive, and living at the compound. And everyone is getting along (mostly, it's the Mikaelsons, after all). Takes place during Hope's first Halloween. Everyone is tired of watching Hayley and Elijah dance around each other and have hatched a plan to get them to admit their feelings to each other._

**~Operation Haylijah~**

Esther had been sewing for weeks. But, she had refused to let Hayley, at least, know what she had been up to. Until tonight, when she called the newest hybrid into her room to show her.

"Halloween costumes? You've been making Halloween costumes?"

"I think we all deserve a chance to just let loose, don't you? You, especially. You've been wound so tight, lately, that I'm honestly afraid that you'll snap. And, even if I wasn't coming to care for you on your own merits, I shudder to think of what that would do to Klaus. To say nothing of Elijah. So, we're going to have a Halloween party. And you are going to wear the costume I made you. And maybe my idiot son will finally get around to helping you blow off some steam."

Hayley wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, but she dutifully looked at the costumes Esther had laid out. Hope's was… "a puppy?" No, not just any puppy. "A wolf pup. Hope is going as a wolf pup. I thought that Halloween was international 'come as you aren't' night?"

"For the humans? Yes. For us? Sometimes it's fun to embrace it for a night. I'm going as a witch. Complete with the pointed hat, the broom, and the warty green face."

Hayley just nodded and picked up another costume. A black suit with red accents, complete with a cape with a raised collar, and a red lining. "So, who is Dracula?" Because that costume would be fitting for any of the Mikaelson men.

"That one is Elijah's. And the dress is yours, of course."

Of course. Hayley held up the dress and whistled. It was black and floor length. But, any resemblance to a witch's costume ended there. It was extremely form-fitting, with a neckline that plunged practically to her bellybutton, and a side slit that went to the top of her hip. In order to wear this thing and not look stupid, she couldn't wear anything under it. The cuffs and top of the neckline were trimmed in the same red that accented Elijah's costume. If it hadn't been for the trim, she might have guessed Elvira. As it was, she had no clue. "And just who am I supposed to be?"

"Well, if Elijah is Dracula, that makes you the Bride of Dracula. Though, I did spare you both the plastic fangs. I figure you can both provide that little costume accessory yourselves."

Hayley set the dress down. "Esther, I love this. I really do. But, Elijah and I are not a couple. Getting us matching costumes is… maybe not a great idea."

Esther rolled her eyes. "I'm hoping that that will change tomorrow night. I don't know what has been going on between you two, but the tension is getting so bad that even Finn is starting to notice. I admit to having a little betting pool going with Klaus, Kol, Freya, and Rebekah about how long it will take Elijah to rip that dress off of you."

"Esther!" Never mind whether or not there was anything like that still between her and Elijah. There was still the other issue with having this conversation. "That's your son, you're talking about."

"Yes, he's my son. But, he's been a grown man for a very long time. And I'm neither blind nor a fool, Hayley. I know how he feels about you."

"You mean, how he felt, past tense."

"No, how he feels. I see the way he looks at you, when you aren't looking. There's a longing there that… Well, the only thing I can begin to compare it to is the way you look at him when you think that nobody's looking. It's obvious to everyone that the two of you are deeply in love. Well, obvious to everyone but the two of you. You each are convinced that any feelings the other once had are gone. When that couldn't be further from the truth. So, tomorrow, Rebekah has volunteered to take Hope trick-or-treating. You and Elijah are going to go to the Halloween party I'm throwing. There has also been a hotel room registered in your name. The keycard is in your glove compartment, so you don't even have to check in."

"Esther!"

"Don't you start with me. I mean it, Hayley. Look, what does and does not happen between you two is nobody's business but yours. But, at the very least, you are _going _to talk this out, and admit that you both still love each other. This little avoidance game you've been playing ever since you were turned has gone on long enough."

"You know what? I want in on this little betting pool. I'm betting that this dress stays in one piece all night."

"You are absolutely no fun. But, since that is a bet that I'm sure you would be quite happy to lose, I'll let you in. Now then. Take yours and Hope's costumes to your room. And drop off Elijah's."

"Is there a particular reason you want me to give Elijah his costume, instead of doing it yourself?"

"Honestly? Because I think that you have a better chance of getting him to actually go. Granted, we'll have Klaus's help, tomorrow."

Hayley just shook her head. She knew Esther well enough by this point to know not to bother trying to argue with her. The woman was a force of Nature when she wanted to be. And it seemed that right now she wanted to be. She sighed and picked up the pile of fabric.

She knocked on Elijah's bedroom door, and almost instantly regretted it. Elijah was apparently getting ready for bed. Hayley forced herself to keep her eyes on his face, to not let them roam over his bare chest. "So, your mother is throwing a Halloween party, tomorrow. We are under orders to go, and to wear the costumes she made for us." She picked Elijah's suit and cape off the top of the pile in her arms. "This is yours."

Elijah took the costume and looked at it with a smirk. "Dracula? I'm going as Dracula? Do I not get a vote, here?"

"Yes, you are going as Dracula. And no, you don't get a vote. In fact, your siblings are in on this, and Klaus is fully prepared to drag you to the party if he has to. I have a feeling that I will also be dragged if I try to fight it, too."

He shook his head, and then looked at the rest of the pile in Hayley's arms. "What else do you have there?" He picked up the mass of gray fur and held it up. Then he laughed. "Hope is going to be adorable in this." He started to reach for Hayley's costume, and frowned when she moved it out of his reach. "Is that your costume? Let me see it." He reached for it again, and Hayley once again moved it out of reach.

The next several minutes were spent with Hayley playing a weird game of keep-away with Elijah that had them both laughing. "I don't know that I'm actually wearing this. It's a bit out of my comfort zone."

"Nope. If I don't get a vote, neither do you. They'll make you wear it, you know. You might as well not bother trying to fight it. So, come on. Let me see. What has you looking so flustered?"

It wasn't actually her costume that had her flustered. It was the fact that Elijah was looking at her the way he used to. And being playful and silly. For right now, it was like the past several months never happened, whatever wedge had been driven between them when she was turned disappeared. And she didn't want that to end.

Eventually Elijah stopped trying to steal Hayley's costume from her and resorted to pouting and giving her puppy dog eyes. "Oh, come on. This isn't fair. You've seen mine, I should get to see yours!"

Hayley just stared at him for a minute before collapsing to the floor in a fit of laughter. "Do you have any idea what that sounds like?"

Elijah didn't answer, having taken the opportunity her distraction gave him to grab her costume out of her arms. "Oh my..."

Hayley looked up to see Elijah holding her dress up in front of him, an unreadable expression on his face. She stood up, and reached to take the dress from him. But, he didn't let it go, instead holding it up against her. She could only stand there and watch him as he looked up and down.

When he looked back to her face, his eyes were dark. It wasn't too hard to figure out that he had come to the same conclusions she had about the way it would fit. He swallowed. "You are going to be absolutely stunning. Every man there is going to want to dance with you. Among other things."

_Every man, Elijah? Does that include you? _She couldn't actually ask that. Things between them were still too strained.

And then he handed her hers and Hope's costumes back. "Promise to save at least one dance for me?"

Well, that answered at least half of her question. Elijah definitely wanted to dance with her. Whether he would want to do anything else with her remained to be seen. But, she would at least get a dance. She nodded. "I guess I'll see you at the party, then." And then she vamp-sped to her room before she had a chance to do or say something stupid that would ruin the moment.

**~Operation Haylijah~**

"'You've seen mine, I should get to see yours'? Really, Elijah? You're lucky she didn't slap you silly."

"Or kick you in the balls. That could have been an interesting end to the evening, too."

Elijah looked back and forth between his two younger brothers, feeling exasperated that they were apparently sharing a joke at his expense. A joke that he didn't get. "Why would she kick me for wanting to see her Halloween costume?"

Niklaus raised an eyebrow at him. "Halloween costumes? That's what you were talking about?"

"Of course. Mother sent Hayley to drop off my costume. But then Hayley didn't want to show me hers, which was entirely unfair."

Niklaus and Kol looked at each other, then back at Elijah. Matching incredulous expressions on their faces. "I am starting to think that he genuinely has no clue what he said."

"I think you may be right. Which makes no sense. I know that it's been a while, Elijah, but seriously? You sound twelve, right now."

Kol shook his head. "More like ten. I would think that the average twelve-year-old would know what 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours' means."

Elijah facepalmed as it finally clicked. "Oh shit. No wonder she was laughing so hard." He started laughing. "No, I assure you that I at least had pants on when she came to my room. That was strictly about her Halloween costume."

"Speaking of which, did you ever see it?"

Elijah swallowed. "I did. It's… quite interesting."

"That's certainly one word for it, yes. I can only imagine what it's going to look like on her."

"She is going to be stunning. Not that she really needs a fancy dress for that." Elijah needed to change the subject. "So, I'm going as Dracula, Hope is a wolf pup, and Hayley is… whatever the Hell she's supposed to be in that dress. What about the rest of you?"

"I'm the big bad wolf. Kol is going to be a warlock. Mother is a witch. Rebecca is going as a vampire, but since she's taking Hope trick-or-treating, her costume is a bit more 'kid friendly' than Hayley's. Freya and Finn are going way back in time. Finn is going as a viking, and Freya is a peasant girl. And, by the way, Hayley is the Bride of Dracula."

Elijah stared at them. The Bride of Dracula. To match his own costume. Hayley was going to this party as… his wife? "Has our mother lost her ever-loving mind? Bad enough that you're going to make her go to that party whether she wants to or not. You're going to force her to interact with me?" Which made the promise he had asked her for last night that much worse, actually. He started to stand. "I need to go."

Except his brothers had each grabbed an arm and forced him back into his seat. "We are all just getting tired of this little cat and mouse game the two of you have been playing and are helping to end it."

"Hayley and I have not been playing a cat and mouse game!"

Niklaus smirked at him. "You only say that, brother, because you aren't used to being the mouse. But, poor Hayley isn't used to being the cat, either. So, maybe that is affecting your perception of the situation. Maybe you don't realize just how much you've been running from her, because you haven't noticed her trying, desperately, to get close."

He closed his eyes. "I have not been running from her. I've been trying to give her space and time to adjust to her new reality. In the course of a single day she became both a mother and a hybrid. I don't know how to help her deal with either of those things."

"And so, you've pushed her at me."

"You can understand her! You are the only one in the world who can truly understand what she's going through. What it means to be a hybrid. It's always been different for you than it was for the rest of us, Niklaus."

"You really think that that's her problem, right now, Elijah? You think that she's having trouble adjusting to being a hybrid? Yes, the bloodlust got to her a bit in the beginning. And yes, maybe that was more pronounced in her than it had been in you because of you not having a wolf's temper to go with it. But she's adjusted to that beautifully. Her problem now is one that I can't begin to help her with. Because I can't begin to understand it. I've never been in love with someone who I thought didn't love me back."

"And that, big brother, is something only you can help her with. Assuming that we haven't all been misreading the situation, and you _can _help her with that."

Elijah just shook his head. No, they hadn't misread the situation. At least not where he was concerned. If Hayley's problem now was thinking that his feelings for her had changed, he could certainly help ease her mind. And maybe, tonight, they could get back what they had lost. He looked back and forth between his brothers, not believing he was about to ask them for relationship advice. "All right. Any ideas on how to fix this?"

**~Operation Haylijah~**

Hayley couldn't help being a little self-conscious as she looked at herself in the mirror. Part of her wondered if there was some magic involved in how well the dress fit her. After all, it wasn't like Esther had taken measurements. And the dress really did fit as if it was made for her. "I really don't know about this, Beks."

"Nonsense, darling." Rebekah finished zipping the dress and turned Hayley to face her. She whistled. "I am going to win that bet, for sure!"

_Don't be so sure about that. After all, I have my own forfeit on the line and I'm the one wearing the dress. _Oh, she could admit to herself that the part of her that didn't want to put on something less revealing was having fun little fantasies. Elijah's eyes darkening the way they had when he had imagined what she would look like in it. His hands on her skin. Or better yet, his _lips _on her skin. But, no matter what happened, she was determined to maintain _some _self-control. Even if Elijah had the honor of taking this dress off of her, tonight, it would come off in one piece. She was _going _to win that bet.

She didn't say any of that, though. Just shrugged. "I doubt it. Elijah doesn't think of me that way, any more. If he ever really did."

Rebekah shook her head. "You are impossible. Well, I'm going to go finish getting ready to take the little angel trick-or-treating. I'm assuming you can manage your make-up on your own?"

Hayley nodded and turned back to the mirror. An hour later, she was outwardly ready for the party. She had paired the dress with strappy stilettos in black, studded with rubies. Where Rebekah had found those shoes in Hayley's size was something she wasn't going to ask. It would not at all surprise her to find out that Esther or Freya had been involved in that, too. Her hair had been curled, pulled back to leave most of her neck bare, and secured with ruby hair combs. Dangling ruby earrings and a matching necklace completed the ensemble. She had gone out that morning and bought herself some drugstore foundation a few shades too light for her. It gave the requisite pale appearance without the stickiness of Halloween greasepaint. And without going full-on white, which would have ruined the effect she was going for. A deep-toned blush applied to the hollows of her cheeks to make them look sunken in, and a dark smoky eye finished off the undead appearance. She popped her fangs out and bit one corner of her lip, letting a small trickle of blood drip down her chin before healing the bite, and then applied blood red lipstick. She took a step back. Okay, not bad. The dress still seemed like overkill, but overall she was quite pleased.

There was a low whistle from behind her. "My brother is an idiot sometimes, but he was right about one thing. You are stunning, Little Wolf."

She spun around to see Klaus leaning against the doorframe, dressed in a wolf costume. She laughed. "You and Rebekah should have traded places. You match Hope."

He straightened up. "Yes, well… Rebekah is the one who lives for that kind of thing. I love Hope with all my heart, but don't really care to surround myself with gaggles of screaming children, even for her sake. I prefer to bond with her over quieter pursuits." He smiled. "Besides, Rebekah had no interest in trying to compete with you, tonight. And we all know how she feels about not being the center of attention."

"I heard that!"

"You were meant to!"

Rebekah swept into the room carrying Hope, who was now in her costume. "Say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy." As Klaus and Hayley both kissed their daughter on the cheek, Rebekah leaned in to whisper in Hayley's ear. "He has one thing, right, though. All eyes are going to be on you, tonight."

Hayley shrugged. There was really only one set of eyes she was concerned with. And that thought had her suddenly nervous. Was this outfit too much? Would it look like she was trying too hard?

"Relax. You really do look beautiful. Elijah is not going to be able to take his eyes off of you. And everything is going to be fine. You'll see." He held out his arm. "Now then. Might I have the honor of escorting you?"

~Operation Haylijah~

Elijah could only stare as Niklaus and Hayley walked into the room. Hayley looked even more beautiful than he had imagined, which he would not have thought possible. Though it was obvious that he was not the only man to have noticed her. Nearly everyone had turned to watch as they made their way to the dance floor.

Normally, Elijah was not the type to interrupt a couple while they were dancing together. But, in this case, it was actually part of the plan. He didn't quite follow Niklaus's logic, but he had asked for advice, and was going to take it. He walked up and tapped his brother on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but might I cut in?"

Niklaus smirked. "Of course, brother. I was just keeping Hayley company. I should go see to my own date, now."

Elijah took Hayley into his arms. As they swayed together, he whispered in her ear. "You are absolutely breathtaking, tonight."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad, yourself."

He chuckled at that, and for a few minutes, he just let himself enjoy the feel of having Hayley in his arms. Until the song ended and a slightly faster one started. Though, he didn't relinquish her completely. As they twirled around together, he couldn't help but be reminded of the first time they had danced together. The party that was meant to bring the factions of New Orleans together. Just like that night, Hayley was laughing in his arms. He just hoped that this dance had a better ending than that one had. Though, he was pretty sure that if anyone tried to cut in this time, both of his younger brothers would have something to say about it.

And then that song ended, as well. And, as much as Elijah would love to just spend the evening dancing and pretending that the past several months never happened, he knew that they could only ignore it for so long. And so, rather than let himself start another dance, he took Hayley's hand and led her to a secluded corner where they could talk. "I feel I owe you an explanation."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? An explanation for what?"

"I know that I've been… distant ever since Hope was born and you were turned. You deserve to hear my reasons for that."

She shrugged. "You don't really owe me anything. But, if you want to explain, I won't stop you."

"I had just started to fool myself that the past didn't matter. That you and I could just pretend that our family situation wasn't… rather confusing. But, that changed that night. Suddenly, you were a hybrid, and you had just given birth to my brother's child. And…"

But, she didn't let him finish. In hindsight, he should have noticed the growing horror in her eyes while he was talking. Should have noticed it, realized the problem, and reassured her. But, he didn't. And, by the time he realized what she thought he was about to say, it was too late to fix it.

"Yeah, I get it. It finally occurred to you that you didn't want your brother's sloppy seconds."

"Hayley, no! That's not…"

She held up a hand. "Whatever, Elijah. It would have been really nice if you had thought of that before you spent my entire pregnancy leading me on. What was that, anyway? Were you just trying to keep me from running and keeping the baby from Klaus? You didn't need to do that. Even if I would have done that to him, I wouldn't have done that to her. I grew up feeling unloved and unwanted. I wouldn't deny my child a family that loved her. You didn't have to go and make me fall in love with you to keep me here. You didn't have to go out of your way to break my heart." She pulled her hand from his. "I'm going to move out. I won't go far. I won't keep Hope from any of you. But I can't live in the same house as you. Not after this."

As she turned and started to walk away, Elijah reached out and grabbed her arm. "Hayley, please. Let me finish."

"I think you've said quite enough. Go to Hell, Elijah."

This time, when she pulled away from him, he let her. He wanted to cry. He had completely screwed that up, and had no idea how to fix it, this time.

"Why did Hayley just run upstairs in tears?"

She was crying? Perfect. Because he wasn't hating himself enough, right now. Let's add the fact that Hayley wasn't just pissed at him, he had made her cry. "Because I was trying to explain why I had been distancing myself from her these past few months. Only, I only got as far as Hope before… well, I don't care to repeat the language she used, but basically, she now thinks that I find the thought of being with a woman who has slept with my brother to be disgusting, and thinks that I was leading her on, using myself as bait in some kind of honey trap to keep her from taking Hope away."

Kol whistled. "You don't do anything by halves, do you, Elijah? Not even fuck up."

Niklaus had turned and was hitting his own forehead against the wall. "Elijah, you are a thousand years old. How are you so incredibly bad at this? You would think you've never spoken to a woman in your life." He turned to glare at Elijah. "You need to march up there, and talk to her. Explain what you were trying to say."

"I've tried to explain, Niklaus. She won't listen. She wants nothing to do with me, right now. To the point that she's planning on moving out. Says that she won't go far, and won't keep Hope from any of us, but she can't live here, with me. I get the impression that she can't even _look _at me, right now. How do I get her to _listen _to me?"

"We could always lock the two of you in a room together, and not let you out until you've made up."

"Now there's a thought." When Elijah turned around, Freya was standing there with her hands on her hips. "You two are both completely hopeless. So, I think I'm going to take Kol's advice on this one." And then she snapped her fingers.

**~Operation Haylijah~**

The next thing he knew, he woke up next to Hayley, with no idea where they were. He jumped out of the bed, and started pacing around the room. Okay, they were in a hotel room. A very nice hotel room. And then he noticed the note on the table.

_Hayley and Elijah, _

_The two of you are being ridiculous. And the rest of us are getting sick of it. So, here is how this is going to work. Your room is under a barrier spell. Nothing gets in or out until sunrise. That includes sound waves. And it's not just the door, it's around the entire room. So, no going out the window, no punching holes in walls. The two of you are going to sit in there, and talk this out. Like adults. And the rest of us will see you tomorrow. _

_Freya. _

Wonderful. Perfect. Just what poor Hayley needed. To be forced to talk to him before she'd had time to calm down. Damn his siblings and their meddling.

"Where the hell are we?"

He turned around to see Hayley sitting on the edge of the bed. "We're at a hotel. Apparently my family has decided that the best way to get us to talk to each other was to lock us in a room together."

She got up and walked to the door. "Yeah, screw that." Elijah couldn't help the smirk as she tried, unsuccessfully, to open the door. "What the hell?" She started pounding on the door. "Hello? Anybody out there? We seem to be locked in here."

"Yeah, we don't seem to be locked in here. We _are _locked in here. And scream all you like, nobody can hear you. When my big sister creates a barrier spell, she doesn't play around. We're trapped here until sunrise." He handed her Freya's note. And watched her eyes get wide as she read it.

"Damn it! Why the hell do they have to stick their noses into everything? Why can't they just leave us alone?"

"They're trying to help. And, since we're stuck here, we might as well do what we're told and talk."

"I don't know, Elijah. I think we've both said enough."

"Hayley…"

"Fine! You want to talk? Let's talk. Why, Elijah? Why couldn't you just leave me alone? Why did you have to pretend to feel something you didn't? I admit, you're good. You deserve an academy award for the act you put on. It was really first rate."

Elijah wanted to take her into his arms. To kiss her senseless, until she really believed that his feelings for her were real. But, they weren't going to solve their problems with sex. Freya was right, they needed to talk this out. "Are you quite finished? It wasn't an act. None of it was an act. I wasn't pretending to feel something. It was real. All of it. It still is." He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her down to sit next to him. "I worded things badly at the party. But, in my defense, you didn't give me a chance to finish. I never meant to imply that I think of you as being damaged goods because you've slept with Niklaus. And if that's how you took that, then I am very sorry for giving you that impression."

"Then what, Elijah? What was that line about me having your brother's baby about?"

"Look, like I said, our family situation is confusing, right now. As Hope's uncle, it's my right and my duty to spoil her rotten. But, as a man who hopes to be her stepfather one day, there are certain lines I am not allowed to cross. I was trying to give the two of you time and space to work out what those lines are. You needed a chance to work this whole co-parenting thing out before you added me to the mix."

"Okay, but that's about your relationship with Hope. It doesn't really explain why you pulled away from me."

"Because I was stupid. I was trying to give you a chance to adjust. Your world got turned upside down and inside out. You became a mother and a hybrid in one fell swoop. Either one of those things takes some getting used to. Trying to deal with them both at the same time… I didn't think you needed some lovesick fool putting pressure on you on top of everything else. So, I pushed you and Niklaus together, in the hopes that he could help you adjust better than I could. And, as I said, to give you a chance to be parents together. I always intended to let you know that I was here, waiting for you to be ready for a relationship. But then, you started pulling away, too. Or so it seemed to me. And I guess that I just assumed that your feelings had changed. At which point, I was hardly going to say anything about how I feel and put you on the spot like that."

Hayley slumped against him, looking almost defeated. "When really, I was just trying to pretend that the way you pulled away from me didn't hurt. I guess we were both stupid."

He smiled and kissed her temple. "No. You were trying to protect yourself. That isn't stupid. The blame for this misunderstanding is all on me. There were better ways to give the two of you space without me pulling completely away from you, like that. I've treated you horribly. And if you can't forgive me, then I understand."

"I didn't need space, Elijah. And I didn't need time. What I needed was to know that I was still the same person. To know that you still cared about me. That… that my being turned into some hybrid monster didn't kill whatever you had felt for me, before. I felt like… like you had put me on some kind of pedestal before. And then, when I turned, and the bloodlust started getting to me… I fell off that pedestal. And you didn't want the person I was becoming."

He wanted to say something, to reassure her. But, he knew that this was something she needed to say. And, more to the point, it was something he needed to hear. So, he just put his arms around her, and held her. "I'm sorry."

"A part of me thought it was stupid to care that much about it. I mean, I had Hope. And I finally had a family who loved me and accepted me for who I am. But, I had thought that I would have something more than that, too. I had thought that I had this great guy who cared about me. Who maybe could come to love me, given time. And having that taken away hurt like hell. It made everything else I was going through even worse. Because I wasn't just dealing with everything becoming a hybrid did to me. I was trying to deal with the fact that it had apparently turned me into someone you wanted nothing to do with. And that was the part I couldn't handle. And I didn't know how to fix it. I didn't know how to get the old me back. How to get you back. All I could do was hope that whatever had changed between us somehow changed back. That someday, you would look at me the way you used to."

"Meanwhile, I _was _looking at you the way I used to, and trying to hide it because I didn't want you to feel pressured." He gave a humorless laugh. "Quite the pair, aren't we?" He took a deep breath. "As for what you had hoped for us… In case you didn't catch me talking about hoping to be Hope's stepfather some day… Hayley, I love you. I have always loved you. And I am so sorry for making you doubt that. Can you ever forgive me for the pain I've caused you?"

Her answer wasn't in words, but it was certainly eloquent.

**~Operation Haylijah~**

It didn't take long for the kiss to become passionate. And for Hayley's hands to come up between them to untie Elijah's cape to let it fall. And then to start unbuttoning his shirt. Maybe it was too soon for this, after all, they had just gotten together. It couldn't even really be called getting back together, since they were never really a couple, before. But, Hayley had been wanting this for a very long time. If she was being honest with herself, she started wanting it the first day they met. Maybe not consciously, but she had fallen hard for Elijah from the very beginning.

Besides, he wasn't exactly complaining. In fact, once his shirt was off, he lowered her to the bed, his hands moving restlessly over her. He pushed the plunging neckline of her dress to the side, so he could cup her breast, earning a moan of pleasure. And then he kissed a path across her jaw, down her neck, and then down her chest. Until he pushed the other side of her neckline aside and closed his mouth over her other breast.

Hayley arched her back, pushing herself closer to him. He was on top of her, now. And she wanted badly to wrap her legs around him, to hold him to her. But her damn dress was in the way. Well, at least only partly. Her right leg had freedom of movement, at least. She stuck her leg out to free it from the dress, and then wrapped it around Elijah's waist, holding him to her. It wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough. There were just too many clothes between them. She wanted them all gone.

Suddenly, both his hand and his mouth left her breasts, and she whimpered. Especially when it seemed like he was pulling completely away from her. Was he about to get all noble on her? Mention the fact that they just started this relationship for real about five minutes ago? But no. She felt his lips on her knee, and then moving up her thigh. The whimper turned into a moan.

And then Elijah growled. "This dress is gorgeous. And you look sexy as sin in it. But it needs to come off. Now." She felt his hands on her leg and realized that he was getting ready to rip the dress off.

Which made her remember the bet she had with his family. "Elijah, wait! Your mother and siblings all have a betting pool going about how long it'll take you to rip this dress off of me."

He kissed her hip, just below where the slit in the dress ended. "Hmm… I wonder who's winning?"

"I bet that it would stay in one piece all night."

"That's unfortunate. But, I promise to make losing the bet worth it."

She couldn't think when he was touching her like that. But, she needed to think. As much as she wanted him, it was a matter of pride that she win that bet. And then she remembered her loophole. "I bet that it would stay in one piece. I never said anything about it staying on."

He sat up, then, a wicked gleam in his eye. "What's the bet, exactly?"

"We didn't set terms. I'm thinking of having Klaus take baby duty for a while, and we already know that Freya can create a sound barrier around a room. Meaning we can be as loud as we want. Maybe she can even make that permanent."

"All right. For a permanent sound barrier around our bedroom, I guess I can help you win that bet. Come here." He stood up, and then helped her stand. Before she had time to react, he had spun her around so that her back was to him. And he slowly undid her zipper. He was teasing her, she knew it. But, considering he had wanted to just rip the thing off a minute ago, he was also teasing himself. So she could hardly complain.

Eventually, the dress was in a puddle at her feet, and Elijah picked her up and laid her back in the bed. She was now wearing nothing but jewelry and a pair of strappy sandals. She reached for him, but he seemed to ignore her, instead bending down to pick her dress up off the floor. "It would be a shame if I went to so much trouble to get this off of you in one piece only to rip it by stepping on it." And he proceeded to oh so carefully fold the dress and set it on a chair. Yes, he was definitely teasing her. Damn the man! He wasn't playing fair!

"I seriously suggest you get your gorgeous ass back in this bed where it belongs."

Elijah just chuckled. "You're the one who decided we needed to slow things down. I'm just doing what you told me to do."

"I didn't say we had to slow things down. I just wanted to win that bet. Which I've done. Now get back here."

He shook his head. And then his hands moved to the button on his pants. Hayley swallowed hard as she watched him remove that last barrier between them.

And then he _finally _joined her in the bed. "There are so many things I want to do to you." He whispered as his hands moved over her skin. "It's a good thing we're immortal, because I don't think that one lifetime will be nearly enough for me to have my fill of making love to you."

"Speaking of being immortal, we have literally forever for slow and gentle. Right now, I think you've teased me enough. Please, Elijah. Just take me."

"I'd make a comment on you being impatient and tease you some more, but… God, Hayley, so am I." And with that, he covered her body with his own, and pushed himself inside her.

Hayley cried out in pleasure, and then wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him to her as he thrust into her again and again. There was nothing gentle, nothing sweet, about this lovemaking. It was raw and primal. An act of pure lust between two people who had been wanting this for over a year. And yet, there was more to it. For all that his body was striving for sexual release, Elijah was whispering in her ear. Words of love, and admiration.

Somehow, hearing Elijah telling her how much he loved her, how this was so much more than sex for him, increased Hayley's pleasure. Physically, it was already the best sex she'd ever had. And the emotional connection, something she'd never experienced before, made it even better. She screamed his name as she came.

But, he wasn't done with her. His thrusts slowed down, became gentler, but didn't stop. And when Hayley started gasping and moaning again, he once again picked up the pace. This time, when he once again brought her to that edge and sent her over, he didn't let up at all. Until she heard him call out her name as he exploded inside her.

After a few minutes, Elijah pulled out of her, and rolled over, pulling her with him. He kissed her forehead. Such a sweet, gentle gesture after the mind blowing sex they had just shared. "I love you, so much."

"I love you, too. I know I didn't say it back when you said it before. I just…"

He chuckled. "You had other things on your mind. Believe me, I'm not complaining. I took that kiss as my answer. To say nothing of everything else."

Hayley smiled, and then lifted herself off of him a bit to look into his eyes. "By the way, 'our bedroom'?"

"Do you really want to go back to separate rooms after this? To only share a bed when it's specifically for sex?"

"No, not really. I just… I guess it surprised me that you wanted us to share a room. I don't know why I was expecting you to still want your space."

"Nope. All I want is you. Forever." He kissed her. "Now, we should get some sleep."

And so they slept, wrapped in each others' arms. Though they didn't sleep through the night. They woke up several times to make love. And, with the edge taken off of their desire, those other lovemaking sessions were slower, gentler. They explored each others' bodies with hands, lips, tongues. Starting to learn each others' preferences. Until the sun came up, and Freya's spell came down, and it was time to go home.

Hayley was actually reluctant to go home, to be back in the compound, surrounded by their family. Not that she had a problem with any of the Mikaelsons. But, she was enjoying having Elijah to herself. Not just for the sex, but because they could be honest with each other in ways they couldn't with anyone else. Then again, the forfeit she would ask Freya for would solve that problem, too. Their bedroom would become a true sanctuary. Their bedroom… She definitely liked the sound of that. And that was one good thing about going home. She needed to move her things into Elijah's room. Or Elijah's into hers. They hadn't actually worked that part out, yet. Elijah's room was bigger, but hers was closer to the nursery.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Elijah zipped the back of her dress, and kissed the back of her neck, sending a shiver through her.

"I was just thinking that it's almost a shame that we have to go back and be surrounded by people, again. But also, wondering which room we're going to move into."

"Mine would probably make more sense. It's bigger. Yours may be closer to Hope, but she does have a father who can help take care of her. To say nothing of a grandmother, and two aunts who would jump at the chance to spend more time with her. And two uncles who like playing with her more than they'll ever admit." He turned her around to look at him. "As for the rest… as much as I would love to just stay here with you and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist, you do have a daughter to get back to. But, we can get away again, whenever you want. And someday, I'll take you on a real vacation, just the two of us."

She kissed him on the cheek. "I'd like that." She didn't add the rest of her thought, though. Considering he had mentioned a wish to someday be Hope's stepfather, that meant having a honeymoon. But, she wasn't going to be the one to bring that up. He'd ask when he was ready. After all, they had forever. She took his hand and led him out of the room, before she was tempted to just stay.

**~Operation Haylijah~**

"You will notice that my dress doesn't have so much as a snag."

"Well, that's disappointing. Tell me you two at least made up."

"I think I'd rather discuss the terms of our bet. Now, I haven't worked out what I want from everyone, yet. But, Klaus, you will be doing a lot more baby duty. Especially at night. I'm not breastfeeding, so there is absolutely no reason you can't be the one to take care of the late-night feedings and diaper changes."

Klaus nodded. It wasn't until she mentioned diaper changes that his face fell. No, he certainly didn't mind being expected to spend more time with his daughter. But the thought of having to change dirty diapers was not high on his list of things he enjoyed. "Fine, I can certainly do that."

"And Freya… Can you make a permanent sound barrier? Preferably one-way? Just because Elijah and I would like some privacy, and I expect Klaus to take most late-night baby duties, doesn't mean I want to be unreachable."

Freya blinked. "I… I can do that. Whose room am I putting the spell on?"

"Mine. It's bigger. And since Niklaus is taking over most nighttime baby duties, being a bit further from Hope's room won't matter that much."

"Well, I guess this means you've made up. How in the world did you win that bet, though?"

Hayley could feel herself blushing. "It's what you get for including the person wearing a dress in the betting pool on how long it will stay in one piece. I bribed Elijah with Klaus's and Freya's forfeits, and got him to slow down long enough to make sure the dress came off in one piece. Since I never said anything about it staying on." Which was probably way too much information. But, it was what they got for betting on Elijah's sex life.

"Enough! I don't need details."

"Should have thought of that, before, Klaus. I'm not the one that started this, after all."

"Honestly, I think he's more upset that you managed to find a loophole than that you're telling us about it. After all, that loophole let you win the bet, and gave him diaper-duty."

Hayley just laughed. "Well, I need to go change into something less revealing. When I come back down, Rebekah can show me Hope's candy haul. And then later, I need to get myself moved into Elijah's room."

"From not even wanting to live in the same house as him, to moving into his bedroom. Talk about a whirlwind."

"I thought you didn't want details?" Hayley winked and then took Elijah's hand to lead him upstairs. "I'm going to need help with this zipper, again."

Once upstairs, and alone in Hayley's room, Elijah took her into his arms. "Is help with your zipper all you wanted?"

"For right now, yes. As much as I would like to, we can't spend all of our time in bed. We have a family to spend time with. I have a daughter to raise. Klaus has grown up since she was born, but still."

Elijah sighed, and then pulled Hayley's zipper down. And then he kissed the back of her neck. "Are you absolutely sure you have to go downstairs right now? After everything they did to get us together, I'm sure that my family would understand us wanting some more alone time."

It was certainly tempting. Too tempting. The man was impossible. Hayley started to turn to face him when suddenly there was the sound of a baby crying. "As unbelievably tempting as that is, duty calls."

"Let Niklaus get her. Isn't he supposed to be taking over more often, now?"

"He has late night duty, remember? And him and Rebekah had her all night, while you and I were… enjoying ourselves. So, I'm going to get dressed, and then spend time with my daughter. And tonight, after I put her to bed, you and I will take full advantage of the spell Freya is going to cast on our room, I promise." As she pushed him out of her room, she whispered in his ear. "I got to really like being able to be as loud as I want, last night. I'd hate to have to go back to being quiet, because of being in a house full of vampires. Now then. Go get your niece, and tell her that Mommy will be there just as soon as I'm finished getting dressed." And with that she closed the door.

She quickly slid her dress off, and put on panties, jeans, and a t-shirt. And then she went downstairs to where her boyfriend and his family, their family, were waiting for her to come see all the candy her daughter collected the night before - and that they now all got to eat, since Hope was too young for most of it.


End file.
